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Banks are still being pretty stingy about extending credit these days, when it comes to things like credit cards and mortgages. But there's one big exception: Banks are giving out car loans like they're going out of style.

With college costs high and rising, more students are putting themselves deeper into debt than ever. But those huge debt loads don't just pressure graduates to find high-paying jobs: They're also making it nearly impossible for many of them to get mortgages.

Whether it was a fresh startup or a fresh start, fewer Americans seemed willing to take career risks last year, according to a new report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas. The percentage of job-seekers starting their own businesses or relocating for new positions fell to historic lows in 2010.

Boosted by the government's fiscal stimulus, construction spending unexpectedly rose 0.1% in June, the Commerce Department said. However, June's mild good news was offset by a large, downward revision to a 1% spending decline from a previously-announced 0.2% decline for May.